The present invention relates to a portable computer, and more particularly to a portable computer having a display, the height of which is capable of being adjusted with respect to the computer body.
Generally, in a portable computer, including but not limited to devices such as a notebook type personal computer, a PDA apparatus and the like, a lid containing a LCD display (hereinafter, referred to xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d simply), which serves as a display unit, is pivotably connected to a back end of the computer body equipped with a keyboard by the use of a hinge portion, or the like, such that it may be opened or closed.
During carrying, it is known that an entire computer can readily be made compact by closing the lid to superimpose it on the computer body. At the same time the display and the keyboard are covered, each is also protected so as not to be damaged by the presence of the cover over each.
During use, the display and the keyboard are exposed by opening the lid so that a keyboard operation can occur and a user may view the display, that is, an operation of the computer can be performed. Also, the computer is configured such that the display can be set at an angle to enable the user to easily watch the display by adjusting an open-close angle of the lid as required.
As described above, in the conventional portable computer, the display screen can be adjusted at such an angle as to enable the user to easily watch the screen by rotating the lid, but the display""s position cannot be changed otherwise. Therefore, when the screen should be changed to such a position as to be easily watched by changing the display""s height, there was no other choice but to cope with it by changing the computer""s installation height. This, however, changes also the keyboard""s height so that it bercomes difficult to operate.
However, in Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 10-326121 and the like, which is incorporated herein by reference, a technique of changing the display""s height is provided. In Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 9-134132, incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a technique of expanding the display upward to enlarge the screen, and in Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 6-187068, incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a structure in which almost middle portions of both sides of the lid are pivotably supported by a pair of arms. In this latter Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 6-187068, when such a lid as described above is superimposed on the computer body, it becomes possible to expose the display by reversing the lid, and in this state, the computer is capable of coping with inputted entry from a lightpen or the like via the display (touch panel type).
However, in recent years, there has been increasing need for a portable computer to be used while a user is moving by airplane, train or the like. In these situations, however, one critical concern involves the availability of installation space for the computer.
For instance, when using the portable computer in the airplane or the like, a computer is usually used by being placed on a table arranged in relation to a back surface of a backrest of nearby forward seat, but since the backrest is also present as indicated (i.e., beyond the table and behind the computer), the opening angle of the lid may be restricted so that the screen cannot be set at such an angle to enable the user to readily view. Particularly, in a state in which the backrest of the forward seat has been angled towards the computer user, it becomes increasingly difficult to adjust the angle of the display because the backrest projects into an upper space of the table. However, when an attempt is made to change the display""s height or angle in accordance with the technique of the Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 10-326121 in such a state, that is, at an installation place where a rear space or a part of an upper space of the computer is restricted, height and angle adjustment becomes very difficult because the display screen cannot be watched structurally if the lid is not opened to an almost right angle or better with respect to the computer body (up to the back side of the computer body) according to this technique. According to this technique, a hinge portion for pivotably supporting the display is provided at the lower end portion of the display, and therefore, it is necessary to increase a braking force (rotation torque of the hinge portion) for supporting the weight of the display for braking. A slide portion for slidably supporting this hinge portion is provided on the lid side, and this slide portion has to firmly support the hinge portion which exerts a great braking force during the rotation of the display. Therefore, there is a clear disadvantage in overcoming the present situations since a robust structure is required and the resulting weight is increased.
Further, for the sliding structure, it is desired to ensure that the hinge portion is able to uniformly slide in a lateral width-wise direction crossing perpendicularly with the sliding direction because when the hinge portion is inclined toward the sliding direction, frictional resistance with the slide portion is increased to cause it not to operate smoothly. In order to realize this, the slide portion must be made more robust in the structure according to the above described conventional technique, in which the display hinge portion is supported only by the slide portion, and therefore, the portability, and the like, of the computer will be noticeably worsened.
In consideration of the above described facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer which is intended to be capable of adjusting the display""s height and angle without deteriorating the keyboard""s operability, and to make the operability be more favorable for a user in the adjustment of the display""s height even when the place for installing the portable computer is restricted in the rear space or the upper space.
In order to achieve the above described object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable computer having: a body having a keyboard thereon; a lid for covering the keyboard, the lid being pivotably connected to a back end of the body, so the lid may be opened and closed accordingly; a display being disposed in the lid; a hinge portion enabling the display to pivot around a first perpendicular line crossing perpendicularly with a high and low direction of the display at an almost middle position in the high and low direction, the hinge portion being mounted at the almost middle position in the high and low direction; and movable means enabling the hinge portion to move in the high and low direction and to be positioned at a higher position than a top of the lid when the lid is opened, the movable means being disposed between the lid and the display.
In the above described portable computer, the hinge portion is mounted at a position which is approximately near the middle of the display disposed in the lid in the high and low direction. This hinge portion enables the display to pivot around the first perpendicular line crossing perpendicularly with the high and low direction of the display, whereby the display can pivot around the perpendicular line to the high and low direction at the almost middle position in the high and low direction. This hinge portion is caused to move in the high and low direction of the display and to be positioned at a higher position than a top of the lid when the lid is opened by the movable means disposed between the lid and the display.
Therefore, when the lid, which is pivotably connected to the back end of the body, is opened, and the display is moved upward in the high and low direction to adjust it at a suitable angle at that elevated position, the angle can be readily changed by pivoting the display in an inclined posture (position where the body makes an acute angle with the lid when observed from its side), in which the display is disposed almost above the body, without inclining the lid on the back side of the body (position where the body makes an obtuse angle with the lid when observed from its side).
Accordingly, even when the rear space or the upper space to the rear of the computer is restricted or limited at a place where the portable computer is installed, it becomes possible to adjust the display""s height and angle, and the setting can be made so that the user can more readily view the display screen.
The hinge portion is displaced at approximately the near middle position of the display in the high and low direction, whereby the center of rotation of the display is to be placed near the center of gravity of the display, and for example, in such structure that a braking force due to friction or the like is imparted to the hinge portion to brake the rotation of the display, the display can be easily braked by a small braking force. In other words, the display can be supported with stability without rattling even if the braking force of the hinge portion is small. In the rotating operation to change the angle of the display, the operability will be improved because the rotation can be easily made by a small operating force (rotation torque).
With regard to the movable means in the portable computer, it may be also possible to configure it so as to enable the hinge portion to move by providing the lid side with a guide groove along the high and low direction of the display, and slidably engaging a slide portion into this guide groove, the slide portion being provided in a movable member, which has the hinge portion and is movable therewith.
By way of example, the configuration (movable means) of the computer, by which the display (hinge portion) is made movable with respect to the lid as described above, includes a combination of the guide groove provided on the lid side and the slide portion, which is slidable within the guide groove, whereby the movable means can be provided in a simple structure.
The portable computer may also have link means for coupling the movable member to the lid. This link means is configured by two links with the almost same length, which are pivotably coupled to each other at approximately their near middle portions, and intersect. Thus, each of first end portions of the two links is coupled with the lid at a predetermined interval respectively in a second perpendicular line crossing perpendicularly with the high and low direction of the display, and each of second end portions thereof is coupled with the movable member respectively in a third perpendicular line crossing perpendicularly with the high and low direction of the display. Further, of each of the first end portions and each of the second end portions, at least any one of the end portions disposed on the same side in the lateral width-wise directions with respect to the high and low direction of the display is provided to be directionably slidable inclusive of directions along the first perpendicular line and the second perpendicular line respectively.
As described above, the link means configured by two links, which are pivotably coupled with each other at approximately their near middle portions, and intersect is used, and the end portions of each link are coupled with the movable member and the lid respectively, whereby when the movable member (display) moves in the high and low direction, amounts of movement at the left and right side end portions of the movable member become always the same, and the end portions are to move straight (uniformly at the left and right side end portions) along the moving direction.
Therefore, even if one side end portion of the display is grasped to lift it up, for example, when the display""s height is changed, left-right balance is maintained to provide a smooth operation. Also, even when the movable means is a combination of the guide groove and the slide portion, there is no possibility that the left-right moving balance is lost to increase sliding load. Therefore, the operability when the display""s height is adjusted is improved.
The portable computer of the present invention can be manufactured at low cost, as there is limited complexity, and the present invention further provides a solution enabling the computer to be lightweight and compact.
In this respect, as used below, xe2x80x9cdirection along the third perpendicular linexe2x80x9d here expresses the moving direction of each of the other end portions coupled with the movable member respectively. Here, where each of the other end portions coupled with the movable member is also directionally slidable in a direction along the third perpendicular line in addition to the up-and-down movement because it necessarily moves in the up-and-down direction along with the up-and-down movement (operation of the link means) of the movable member.
Further here, of each of first end portions and each of second end portions, only each of the first or second end portions disposed on the same side in the lateral width-wise directions with respect to the high and low direction of the lid may be slidable in a direction including directions along the second perpendicular line and the third perpendicular line respectively, and in addition, each end portion on both the left and right sides may be both caused to slide.
The lid in the portable computer may include an internal frame member, which constitutes an interior shell of the lid, is supported by the back end of the body, and has a guide groove provided on the lid side, and a cover member, which is disposed on the outer surface side of the internal frame member, and is made shiftable between a covering position whereat the cover member covers the outer surface in almost tight contact with the outer surface, and an spaced-apart position whereat the cover member is spaced apart from the outer surface.
The lid is configured by the internal frame member and the cover member, and the cover member is made shiftable to a position spaced apart from the internal frame member, whereby there is formed a gap between the internal frame member and the cover member at the spaced-apart position. The shift to this spaced-apart position may be performed by, for example, parallel movement of the cover member with respect to the internal frame member.
Thereby, there is no need for new provision of space for moving the movable member, space for operating the link means and the like within the lid, but the portable computer can be miniaturized and higher density can be attained.
Further, the cover member may be supported in coaxial with an open-close driving axis of the internal frame member and be made pivotable relative to the internal frame member.
Through the use of a hinge portion, a rotating shaft or the like for supporting, for example, the internal frame member, the cover member can be pivotably supported in the same axis as the open-close driving axis of the internal frame member. Thereby, the structure for shifting the cover member is simplified and any increase and the like in the computer weight and cost can be suppressed.
In the configuration having a cable member for electrically connecting the body to the display in the portable computer, the cable member may be guided through between the internal frame member and the cover member for wiring.
This cable member is used to perform supply of electric power, communication of signals and the like for driving, for example, the display between the body and the display. In a configuration, in which the display moves relative (up and down movement) to the body, the cable member causes deformation such as bending along with the movement of the display. When the display moves up and down, however, it is avoided for the cable member deformed t be sandwiched between both members, to be subject to excessive stress or to be damaged by rubbing because the cover member is spaced apart from the internal frame member to form a gap.
Since there is no need for any provision of space for not preventing deformation of the cable member within the lid even here, miniaturization of the portable computer can be promoted.